


heart to heart, melt me down

by likeuwuahh



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: #HappyDahyunDay, F/F, bb dahyun's birthday, cuddle buddies, mentions sana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 07:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18988354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeuwuahh/pseuds/likeuwuahh
Summary: tzuyu has been struggling with insomnia and she's tried various methods to help her sleep better at night for none of them to work in her favour.however, a girl pops up at her door who happens to a professional cuddler (hired by sana, because tzuyu wasn't saying yes) who may be the key to helping her sleep better.(and may also steal her heart)





	heart to heart, melt me down

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday to dahyun, the cutest and one of the most energetic and bubbly girls to exist! hope she has a birthday as amazing and as precious as herself
> 
> song for the fic - ed sheeran's 'firefly' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tBNdJMx_zU

There’s a lot running through Tzuyu’s mind when she opens her front door at ten in the evening.

Firstly, the girl standing in front of her is beyond-this-world beautiful. Secondly, she doesn’t know _why_ there’s a beautiful girl standing outside. Thirdly, this girl is smiling at _her_ and is waiting for her to say something. And fourthly, she knows who Tzuyu is – when Tzuyu doesn’t even know who she is or _how_ she has her address.

She decides to go along with her gut instinct and slams the door on the girl’s face.

For some reason, she has an inkling that the girl’s presence is related to her best friend and Tzuyu lets out a grumble of annoyance as she reaches for her phone. The doorbell rings again, but Tzuyu ignores it this time around, tuning out the constant ringing and rapping against the door. Once it ceases, Tzuyu believes it’s fine to call her damn best friend.

She doesn’t let her speak when the call is answered because Tzuyu has reached her peak of being annoyed by her meddling best friend.

“For God’s sake, please don’t tell me you sent someone to my house Sana.” Tzuyu snarls over the phone. “Why is there a girl outside my door? Why are you sending me _girls_?”

Tzuyu doesn’t hear Sana’s response because the said beyond-this-world beautiful girl is standing inside her house. She’s leaning against the closed door, staring right at Tzuyu which is enough to render her speechless.

“Did you tell her where I keep my spare key too?!” Tzuyu’s voice echoes through the house, the girl wincing at the loudness too.

“Tzu, calm down. Just breathe–”

“How the hell do you expect me to breathe when you sent someone to my house and now she’s inside because you told her where my spare key was. And, to top it all off, you didn’t give me a warning _beforehand_.”

“Because, if I told you, you wouldn’t have agreed. It’s the only way things will get better. Stop avoiding any possible solutions.” Sana attempts to reason with Tzuyu.

Tzuyu lets out a grumble and looks at the girl, who’s now standing awkwardly by the front door. She’s avoiding eye contact, scanning the house instead.

“How do you even know this will work? It’ll fail like the others.” Tzuyu pauses. “So, what did you do? Send me a caretaker? Or a call girl…” She sighs defeatedly.

She risks a glance to the girl again, who’s now blushing profusely at Tzuyu’s suggestion. Tzuyu mumbles an apology before retreating further into her house, too embarrassed to face her.

“Actually… she’s your cuddle buddy.” Sana answers sheepishly.

“What?”

“Look at it this way. Your lack of sleep has seriously been affecting your health and your attention span at work. We’ve tried the milk and cookies, we’ve also tried the watch-something-boring-before-you-sleep and we’ve tried staying up all night to sleep afterwards. None of those worked, but I have faith in this working.” Sana justifies her decision.

“That’s exactly what you said about all of those solutions.” Tzuyu scoffs.

“Believe me this time! I know it’ll work.”

“If it doesn’t and I go through this ending up being even more awkward than I already am…”

“Just give it a try. You’ve already wasted twenty minutes. It’s a one hour session. Have fun cutie!”

Tzuyu slides her phone back into her pocket before walking over to the door. She feels awful for her reaction – from slamming the door on her face to not even offering her a seat when she entered her house.

(well, she _did_ come inside herself without permission)

“I’m really sorry about all of this. Uh, I wasn’t informed about your arrival. Well, I wasn’t even informed.” Tzuyu scrambles to form an apology for her behaviour. “I don’t know how this works? I never knew people can be hired to cuddle.

The girl chuckles at Tzuyu’s rambling and she blushes, surprised by the adorable sound. “Hi, I’m Kim Dahyun, working at Koala Cuddles.”

“Koala Cuddles…” Tzuyu slips her hand into Dahyun’s awaiting hand, shaking it. “I’m Chou Tzuyu – oh, wait you probably already knew that.”

“I get second hand embarrassment from introducing the company’s name every time.” Dahyun rubs the back of her neck. “Also, I’m sorry about entering without permission. Miss Minatozaki said that it was fine to grab the extra key and use it to come inside if you were spooked.”

Tzuyu lets out a huff at the mention of her best friend. Of course, that culprit is behind the mess, just like she believed. How long has she had this in her mind? Tzuyu is completely aware that Sana would have been laughing whenever they met in the past week.

“Sana put you up to this, huh? That girl never really butts out of my business.” Tzuyu shakes her head, smiling softly.

“She wants the best for you.” Dahyun grins, melting the remainder of annoyance from Tzuyu’s body.

“Did she tell you to say all this too?” Tzuyu chuckles when Dahyun blushes.

“No! I can tell from her application to the company, and the fact that she organised everything for you. She listed a whole lot of things about you and what you’d need. I feel like she cares for you a lot. She wants you to get better.” Dahyun rambles to justify her words. She hopes she hasn’t overstepped a line.

“Okay – that’s just perfect.” Tzuyu groans.

“I promise, it’s really not a lot. Just your likes and dislikes, along with your schedule.” Dahyun informs. “Though I’m not sure why she gave me your schedule. Anyway, we’ll see how this session goes and if it helps. That’s the purpose of the visit today. The first session is a free service.”

Tzuyu nods and stands awkwardly because she doesn’t know how this works. Does she go to the bedroom? Or is the couch okay? Does she need to provide Dahyun with clothes?

“So… how does this work?” Tzuyu asks sheepishly, expecting Dahyun to laugh at her lack of knowledge.

But Dahyun just smiles at her, understanding. “Where do you usually sleep? You can change into your sleeping clothes and I’ll join you then.”

With a nod, Tzuyu points to the bedroom at the end of the hall. “I’ll be quick. Uh – you can do whatever you like while you wait.”

Dahyun chuckles at her shyness and sits down on the leather couch in the living room. She releases a sigh, feeling a little bit less stressed when Tzuyu walks into her room. Fishing out her phone, she checks her notifications, clearing her timer as well as the messages from her boss about finishing – an hour earlier.

Okay, perhaps Dahyun isn’t meant to still be here. Her one hour session that she was for had already expired but she can’t help it. This adorable girl has no idea how any of this works. She didn’t even know Dahyun was coming today – neither did they get to talking about the cuddling business until later. It’s a good thing that she had no clients after Tzuyu tonight, or else staying would’ve been impossible. Perhaps that was why her boss contacted her earlier; she must’ve needed an emergency cuddler.  Well, that’s too bad for anyone else. Tzuyu seems like she really needs this cuddling session more than her regular clients.

She’s so adorable, Dahyun can’t help but gush over her nature and her personality. She can already tell that Tzuyu is as gentle and soft as Sana had spoken of earlier. There’s a feeling, a need to protect her from the world because she seems so precious. Insomnia is one of the worst things to have at this age and Dahyun can’t help but wonder about what could’ve caused it. Is she hurt from a past relationship? Or is it the stress from work that she brings home and never manages to finish because it keeps her awake at night?

Dahyun is brought out of her thoughts when Tzuyu clears her throat, blushing. She’s standing at the door of her room in what looks like a pair of dog printed pants and Dahyun thinks it’s the cutest thing to exist.

(or maybe it’s because Tzuyu is the one wearing it)

“Do you want me to come in now?” Dahyun’s voice shakes a little bit as she seeks permission.

Tzuyu nods again meekly and Dahyun slides off the comfy couch and pads along to her room. She’s welcomed by baby blue walls and minimalistic furniture and she thinks it really suits the mood of the room. Dahyun is aware that Tzuyu is becoming increasingly shy, so she quits observing her room and focuses on her.

“Are you okay to sleep in that? Would you like a change of clothes?” Tzuyu offers – basic courtesy, she thinks.

“I’m comfortable. You’re sweet to offer though.” Dahyun giggles.

Tzuyu blushes as she peels off the covers of the bed, throwing her stuffed dog into the corner of the room.

“I thought it would help…” Tzuyu mutters. “So, do you – uh what do we do?”

“Just climb in, I’ll spoon you from behind.” Dahyun instructs, Tzuyu following and climbing into the bed.

She moves to lay on her right side and finds a spot on the wall and just _stares_ as she waits for Dahyun to join her. Tzuyu is engulfed in warmth and comfort as soon as Dahyun wraps her arms around her. It feels soothing, a bit like she’s floating on water – relaxing. She’s never experienced this before and she really likes it.

But, still, there’s a sense of worry that she’s not doing the right thing. Tzuyu shifts on the bed. Once. Twice. Three times. Dahyun presses down on her waist with her palm and the searing warmth makes her freeze.

“Are you uncomfortable?” Dahyun asks. “Or just too nervous?”

There’s a pause, and Dahyun thinks that she’s said the wrong thing. Did she push too much tonight by wrapping her arms around Tzuyu? Especially since it’s her first time cuddling. She drops her arms, removing them from around Tzuyu’s waist, only to see her shiver.

“I’m fine with you keeping your arms around me. I’m just not sure if you’re comfortable.” Tzuyu mumbles against the blanket.

Dahyun can’t hold in her squeal this time – Tzuyu is just way too cute. Tzuyu covers her head with her blanket because she’s feeling awfully shy and whines. Dahyun believes that she’s already taken by Tzuyu’s complete cuteness.

“Alright, I’m sorry. You can come out from under the blanket.” Dahyun apologises for her squealing.

(not that she means it, of course)

Tzuyu grumbles, but agrees and peeks out of the blanket. Dahyun loosely wraps her arms around Tzuyu’s waist again and shuffles higher to rest her head against Tzuyu’s. She’s taken by surprise when Tzuyu’s soft hands cover her own – but it’s comfortable.

“Is this okay?” Dahyun whispers.

“It’s perfect.”

If Tzuyu was facing Dahyun, she would’ve picked up on the redness spreading across her cheeks like wildfire.

If Dahyun had shifted any closer, she would’ve heard the rapid beating of Tzuyu’s heart against her chest.

\--

Dahyun smiles when she hears the soft snores from Tzuyu. She kept shifting around at first, but a firm hand on her waist and Tzuyu finally stilled. Usually, Dahyun might talk to her clients or watch a movie – but she knew getting Tzuyu to sleep was the priority and neither of those would help her sleep tonight.

Ten minutes.

That’s all it took for Tzuyu to fall asleep. However, Dahyun feels like she can’t take all of the credit for making her fall asleep. Perhaps she had a tired day today and the exhaustion took a toll on her at the end. Regardless, she’s glad that Tzuyu’s fallen asleep.

Dahyun remains cuddled against Tzuyu for the rest of the session – well, she doesn’t really have a time limit anymore but she _stays_. She’s not really sure why she’s still cuddling Tzuyu. Tzuyu is asleep, she’s been here for longer than she needs to, Tzuyu is aware of how this works; there’s no reason for her to stay here, in a warm bed, cuddling an adorable girl.

She attempts to escape, then. Tries to sneak her hands from under Tzuyu’s grip, attempt to pry them away but Tzuyu tugs on her hand instead and Dahyun falls onto the bed with a soft thump. She curses under her breath and tries a second time but Tzuyu groans in her sleep and she gives up, sighing in defeat.

Technically, Dahyun isn’t allowed to be staying at her clients’ homes overnight but what is she meant to do when Tzuyu isn’t letting go of her? If she tugs too hard, she’ll wake up and Dahyun will need to help her sleep again.

What her company doesn’t know won’t hurt anyone, right? The less they know the better. With her new outlook, Dahyun decides to rest her eyes for a little bit. She can take a short nap and hope that Tzuyu’s grip loosens by then.

Dahyun drifts off to sleep with a smile on her face and her mind filled with Tzuyu and how adorable she is.

\--

Tzuyu wakes up feeling refreshed the next morning. She feels good. She feels well rested. It’s been a while since she’s slept this well and it puts her into a blissful mood this morning.

That is, until she realises that there are a pair of arms around her waist. Hands she’s been holding onto. She seems to have forgotten why or how there’s someone cuddling her and almost trips over her blankets as she dashes out of the bed.

She tilts her head, looking at the girl still sound asleep on her bed. Tzuyu facepalms at her own lack of realisation and her silly behaviour. She’s unsure of why Dahyun is still here – she hopes it’s not because of her own grip on her hands. Tzuyu is still surprised by how well she slept. It’s been months since she’s had a good night of sleep and nothing has helped her as much as sleeping in Dahyun’s embrace did.

Months ago, when she just finished her college degree in business, things shifted in her life alarmingly. Finals time, she was already incredibly stressed and sleeping less, but after her graduation, her sleep went down like a nose dive. With her father being admitted into the hospital, Tzuyu had to step up to take his place in their company. She was thrown into the position immediately instead of like promised, bottom up. She didn’t want to come off as one of those typical rich kids who were born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Tzuyu wanted to work for her role.

Unfortunately, we can’t always have what we want. Freshly graduating, dad being in hospital and running a company – Tzuyu’s life was a mess. Well, still _is_ a mess. She lives a life under immense scrutiny, one mistake and the whole company suffers. The general public has a constant need of butting into her business and her personal life. She wonders how long it’ll take for them to find out about Dahyun’s presence.

With a heavy sigh, Tzuyu sits on the futon by her bed. Dahyun seemed to be fast asleep and probably wouldn’t be waking up before she has to head to work. She’ll have to head out later and deal with work then. Tzuyu can’t leave Dahyun alone in her house.

Not used to having any company for the morning, Tzuyu didn’t even think about their breakfast situation. She dials her secretary’s number and informs her of her late arrival first before deciding to order something in, instead of cooking herself.

When Dahyun wakes up an hour later, she’s just as disorientated as Tzuyu was when she woke up earlier. Tzuyu chuckles from outside the room when she sees her panicked state. She totally shouldn’t be laughing, but it’s cute, you really can’t blame her. Hearing her laugh, Dahyun turns to face Tzuyu, reddening upon noticing her presence.

“Ah – I’m sorry. Shit, what’s the time?” Dahyun scrambles out of the bed to find her phone to check the time.

“Nine. And please, I’m sorry for keeping you here. I’m sure you tried to leave during the night and couldn’t because of me.” Tzuyu apologises, fiddling with her jumper.

Dahyun pauses. Her heart is not faring well seeing Tzuyu being her usually cute self, early in the morning. How is it possible that a pair of spectacles can make someone look _so_ damn cute? And her jumper matched her dog print pants – Dahyun is a hundred percent sure that Tzuyu is a total cutie.

“I wasn’t sure about what you ate – but I ordered breakfast, as a thank you for staying before you leave.” Tzuyu mumbles shyly, pointing to the table.

Dahyun’s eyes widen at the sight of the table filled with food. Did she expect her to eat _all_ of that? Because that sounded near impossible, really.

“I haven’t eaten yet. I was waiting for you to be up. The bathroom is down the hall, to the left.” Tzuyu adds and Dahyun bolts to the bathroom. “There’s a spare toothbrush there for you as well.”

Tzuyu takes in a gulp of fresh air when Dahyun enters the bathroom. She didn’t think she did a poor job talking to Dahyun this morning. In fact, she can say she did well. She nervously drums her fingers against the countertop of granite in the kitchen.

Her phone screams a tune, sounding ten folds louder in the quiet house than ever before. Sana’s name pops up on screen and she wants to launch it out the window instead. Tzuyu hangs up, messaging her about being busy and receiving a stream of judging emojis in return. She switches her phone on silent and throws it on the couch. No time for Sana this morning.

Dahyun exits the bathroom a few minutes later and joins Tzuyu at the table. It’s too quiet and Tzuyu doesn’t know what to do to get rid of the silence. Perhaps, they can talk about having more of Dahyun’s sessions – more knowledge about her job.

“I have a question. About your job, if you don’t mind me asking.” Tzuyu clears her throat before she speaks. “According to Sana, you were meant to be here for an hour? I don’t mean that you’re unwelcome here or anything – I just hope I didn’t push you to stay here when you had other jobs to do.”

There’s a giggle from her left and Tzuyu’s nerves settle down when she sees that Dahyun is smiling at her. Tzuyu thinks it’s a smile that looks like the brightest star on the darkest night and it’s beautiful, it’s radiant. It makes her heart flutter in her chest.

“I’m usually hired on an hourly base. Your friend hired me for an hour, that’s true. But, with confirming things with you and explaining the process of cuddling, that hour didn’t start until I started cuddling you in bed. I didn’t have other clients after you, so it was fine for me to stay.” Dahyun explains her job before deciding to tease Tzuyu a little bit. “And also, you wouldn’t let go of my hand – so I couldn’t really leave.”

Tzuyu cheeks flared upon hearing Dahyun’s last sentence, completely embarrassed by her own behaviour. She did have a feeling she had been clinging on to Dahyun, but she didn’t realise it was basically the entire night.

She whines then, dropping the spoon previously in her hand to cover her face with both of her palms instead. Tzuyu, a clingy sleeper – Sana will tease her endlessly if she ever heard about it from Dahyun.

“It’s fine, I promise. I didn’t have the heart to wake you up, especially because you slept well.” Dahyun grins cheekily as Tzuyu’s blush deepens. “A lot of the clients I cuddle sleep differently, if they do fall asleep. It’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Can I book you in for more sessions then? Do you have a maximum for how long you can be hired for?” Tzuyu diverts the attention away from the teasing to a safer topic.

“Depends on my availability, but I’m sure my nights are generally open. And we don’t have a cap on sessions at this stage during the night, but we do have a cap for the day.”

Tzuyu nods as Dahyun continues to talk about her job policies. Actually, she’s not really listening anymore because she’s too busy observing her cute hand gestures as she talks. She’s completely smitten with Dahyun and Tzuyu is _sure_ that she will pick up on her distracted state any minute now because she’s not paying attention.

(somehow, Dahyun doesn’t realise throughout the rest of the morning)

“Aren’t you running late for work?”

“I called them to stay back for a little bit.”

“For… me?”

“Maybe.”

\--

The next session Tzuyu books is merely a few days after the first. It’s for the entire night and she feels oddly shy because it feels like she’s hiring different services – but she erases the thought from her mind because Dahyun isn’t here for that and she’s just a soft ball of fluff that loves cuddles.

Tzuyu is more prepared this time with snacks and drinks because she might have looked up what cuddle buddies do and what they’re like. She wants to spend some time maybe watching something with Dahyun instead of just falling asleep. She’s a bit tired from work but the main cause of that tiredness came in the form of Minatozaki Sana and her constant pestering about how good Dahyun is in bed – she had to throw her best friend out of her room. Seven years into their friendship and Sana still teases her just like the first year when they met.

Dahyun rings the doorbell ten minutes later and she’s wearing a pair of yellow checkered pants with a loose t-shirt. Tzuyu thinks it’s another thing to add on her list of reasons why Dahyun is cute. Her list grows a little bit more when Dahyun hands her a bag of her favourite dessert. She sends her a puzzled glance.

“You messaged earlier about having a long and exhausting day, so I just grabbed some of the things you like. Sana told me.”

Tzuyu is lost for words. The gesture is so sweet and unexpected and she feels undeserving of such treatment. Dahyun is too precious for the world – especially, in Tzuyu’s eyes.

“Do you always get your clients their favourite food?” Tzuyu teases as Dahyun enters her house.

“Only the ones that might have long, tiring days – or even, if I _really_ like them.” There’s a glint of mischief in Dahyun’s eyes and Tzuyu shakes her head at her words, smile forming on her lips.

“I know we just slept last time, but do you mind if we watch a movie this time? I’m not sleepy yet.” Tzuyu suggests, pointing to the TV.

“Of course, that’s fine. Did you have anything in mind that you wanted to watch?” Dahyun moves around Tzuyu’s house like she has it memorised already, jumping on the couch.

Tzuyu slides in beside her, but maintains a space. Does cuddling apply to other areas excluding the bed? She isn’t sure, so she decides to move a little bit further from Dahyun.

“Hmm, how about you choose? I have a Netflix account that you’re welcome to select from. I’m not good with movie choices. Sana always chastises me.” Tzuyu hands the remote over to Dahyun, who takes it with glee, squealing.

“Are you sure you trust me to choose? What if I select something rated?” Dahyun raises an eyebrow teasingly.

Tzuyu rolls her eyes this time. “I trust that you wouldn’t do that. I have an inkling as to what movie you might head towards.”

Dahyun pouts.

She just pouts and Tzuyu finds Dahyun absolutely, incredibly, overwhelmingly _adorable_. She doesn’t know if being near Dahyun is healthy for her heart anymore when a simple action can shoot her heart rate to the sky.

(but she’s already booked at least four more sessions with Dahyun)

Though, even if Tzuyu says being around Dahyun can be unhealthy for her heart, she stays.

There’s a gap between them – there _was_ a gap between them because Dahyun shifts closer, towards Tzuyu, until their arms are brushing. There’s an arm around Tzuyu’s shoulder and her previous question is answered.

Cuddling _definitely_ applies to other areas.

Tzuyu naturally wraps an arm around Dahyun’s shoulder and she shuffles a little bit, resting her head against Tzuyu’s neck. Her breath hitches, but Dahyun doesn’t realise – or she chooses to ignore it. Tzuyu isn’t used to having someone this close to her and her brain feels like it’s on the verge of short-circuiting. She doesn’t seem so tired anymore – feels rejuvenated and awake. It’s definitely a part of Dahyun’s effect on her.

(which is a little funny, since she wanted to have more sessions so she can sleep better)

Ten minutes later, Dahyun finally decides on a movie and Tzuyu accepts her fate of a pretty girl cuddling her. This is how she’ll die, she knows it.

She tries to focus on the movie – a Disney classic as Tzuyu expected – instead of Dahyun being so close to her and in her arms. Tzuyu struggles to keep her eyes on the movie playing, especially when Dahyun rests an arm around her stomach. She closes her eyes after reaching halfway because nothing is helping her avoid her mind traveling off somewhere it’s not supposed to go.

“Didn’t you want to watch a movie? Why are your eyes closed?” Dahyun rests her chin on Tzuyu’s shoulder.

Tzuyu opens one eye slowly before shutting it again completely because Dahyun is _way_ too close to her and she can’t breathe. She hears a familiar chuckle and risks opening her eyes, this time breathing a sigh of relief when she notices that Dahyun is leaning against the arm of the couch. Her left hand is still on Tzuyu’s arm and it’s feels like her skin is burning under Dahyun’s touch.

“I just felt like closing my eyes for a little bit.” Tzuyu lies with ease.

“Oh? Do you want to head to bed? Or we can talk for a little bit.” Dahyun immediately sits up, worrying over Tzuyu.

A part of Tzuyu feels overwhelmed with the care Dahyun shows her, sincere and genuine. A part of her feels guilty because Tzuyu had just lied to her as if it was natural. A part of her wants to be close again – but she knows this one will be the death of her, surely.

She glances at Dahyun, who’s fiddling with her sleeves. Tzuyu finds it cute; her favourite dog printed sweater looks good on her, she thinks.

(she handed it to Dahyun when she was shivering during the movie)

“Let’s talk for a bit and cuddle?” Tzuyu finally suggests.

Dahyun is already on her way to Tzuyu’s bed before she even gets off the couch.

\--

The third and fourth sessions are sequential.

Tzuyu tries to sleep without Dahyun one night and it doesn’t fare very well. She ends up crying out of frustration and throws everything off the bed. She has to dial Dahyun’s number in the middle of the night, praying that she’s not with a client. Dahyun is on the way to her house before Tzuyu can finish speaking of her wish of her to come.

(there’s something Tzuyu doesn’t know – she doesn’t know that Dahyun chose to abandon her client that night; she called it a family emergency since she couldn’t think of any other lie)

Dahyun immediately hugs Tzuyu when she opens the door that night. The sight of her defeated figure affects Dahyun more than she lets on. She’s quick to guide Tzuyu to her bed and tuck her in, offering her a warm glass of milk before she rests. She thinks that Tzuyu will fall asleep as quickly as usual but she really struggles and Dahyun’s worry peaks. She questions why and at first, she receives no response. But, Tzuyu slowly starts talking.

It’s the third session where Dahyun learns about the cause Tzuyu’s troubled sleep; her family, the stress and the emotional health decline. She feels an increased need to protect Tzuyu than when they met.

It’s the fourth session the following day – not because Tzuyu books Dahyun for a cuddling session; it’s because Dahyun _knows_ that Tzuyu needs it.

It’s the fourth session where Dahyun realises that Tzuyu’s wellbeing is her priority. She wants to cancel her future sessions but Tzuyu shakes her head as soon as she suggests it. She claims it’s not fair and Dahyun is _aware_ that she’s saying the truth, but her heart feels heavy when she leaves Tzuyu alone.

She doesn’t like that feeling.

\--

Generally speaking, cuddling sessions aren’t meant to be held outside of a home or an apartment. But for Tzuyu’s fifth session, Dahyun gets called in to a dog café. Tzuyu did pull the pleading eyes on her and maybe that played a factor in her answer, but in complete honesty, Dahyun feels like she made the correct choice.

This is the time you can call Dahyun whipped for Tzuyu because she’s totally afraid of dogs and she still says yes. Well, other than the fact that she’s breaking company code by having a cuddling session in an area that’s not allowed.

But. Tzuyu has the biggest grin on her face when Dahyun walks into the café for the start of the session and her heart settles down knowing that Dahyun is the cause of that smile. It feels a little bit weird because it’s their first session in the middle of the day but as soon as Tzuyu slips her hand through Dahyun’s, that thought is far from her mind.

She ignores how much this feel like a date, because it _definitely_ isn’t a date.

\--

When they reach Tzuyu’s house after the café session, they’re both aware that Dahyun can’t stay any longer for the rest of the day as usual. Tzuyu is about sulk about the situation because she really thinks she won’t be able to sleep tonight.

“If you need me, I can always talk to you over the phone.” Dahyun smiles at Tzuyu, the one which makes her heart stutter in her chest.

Before she can change her mind, Tzuyu leans forward and plants a kiss on Dahyun’s right cheek, disappearing into her house. She leaves Dahyun behind, who’s frozen in her spot and completely speechless. She forgets that Dahyun knows where the extra key to the door is and panics when the door opens again behind her.

Dahyun is there, invading Tzuyu’s space like she does all the time – her senses are blaring because she’s too close all at once. Dahyun doesn’t say speak, she simply leans on her tip toes and returns Tzuyu’s kiss – on the left cheek – and struts out the door, a flustered Tzuyu looking at her retreating figure with her mouth hanging open.

Did that just happen?

\--

By the time the sixth and seventh sessions roll by, neither of them really know the true count of their sessions. Dahyun doesn’t take money for her cuddling sessions with Tzuyu anymore because it feels like she’s basically being paid for being a friend. It’s a mutual decision to stop payments – more scolding coming Tzuyu’s way from Dahyun than she expects.

As their sessions continue to increase, Tzuyu finds that she’s automatically reaching for Dahyun’s hand when they’re cuddling. Either she’s holding them, threading her fingers through, or for some odd reason, measuring their hand size and playing with her fingers.

(she’s also directing Dahyun’s hand into her hair when she’s sleepy because apparently Dahyun gives the best massages that make her fall asleep)

What _she’d_ like to admit is that holding Dahyun’s hand makes Tzuyu feel safe, feel loved. She doesn’t know what it is exactly, but whenever Dahyun’s hands are in hers, all of Tzuyu’s worries fade. At the end of a long day of work, or a stressful meeting or just Sana and her frustrating nature – Dahyun has the power to erase all of Tzuyu’s ill feelings and grievances.

The power she has in her hands alone leaves Tzuyu speechless.

Like Tzuyu loves holding Dahyun’s hand, Dahyun loves resting her head against Tzuyu’s neck. She likes wrapping her arms around Tzuyu’s waist, likes to keep her close. They’re never really apart when they have their cuddling sessions, always within arm’s reach of each other.

And, when they’re sleeping in Tzuyu’s bed, after she’s asleep, Dahyun leans her head on Tzuyu’s back, listening to her steady heartbeat that lulls her to sleep.

What _she’d_ like to admit is that Tzuyu has invaded her heart with her cuteness and her love for puppies and all the other little things that make up who she is. A part of her knew from the start, as soon as she saw Tzuyu in her dog print pants and her matching sweater with the spectacles – Tzuyu has the power to brighten up her day by existing.

The power of her cuteness puts everyone else to shame.

\--

It’s later in the year where Dahyun gets called into her work for a meeting with her boss. She’s not a hundred percent sure of the reason, but she has an inkling why.

(she gets fired)

All jobs have rules.

Dahyun’s already broken two of them

1: Don’t have cuddle sessions in external areas.  
2: Don’t fall for your clients.

She’s questioned about liking a client and Dahyun can’t lie because she _likes_ Tzuyu. It would be the worst lie to escape her mouth and she knows she’d never be able to do so with a straight face. Dahyun wonders how the company found out – it turns out that someone spotted her when she was out with Tzuyu on one of their public cuddling sessions.

Actually, Dahyun doesn’t really care about losing this job. Because she’s already found the best thing in her life and she’ll hold on to it, tight.

\--

There’s something off about Dahyun when she walks into Tzuyu’s house later that evening. Tzuyu senses it. Her Dahyun radar blares as soon as she offers a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes like they always do. She’s quick to pull Dahyun into a hug and she sinks into the embrace, loosely looping her arms around Tzuyu’s waist.

“I can tell that something isn’t right, but I don’t want to push you to tell me.” Tzuyu comments, Dahyun flattered by her words.

Dahyun doesn’t know where to start. How does she broach the topic of her getting fired because she likes Tzuyu? She thinks it’s best to get it over and done with.

She remains in Tzuyu’s arms for a few more moments before she pulls back. Thousands of questions seem to be on her mind, but Tzuyu stays silent, not imposing on Dahyun’s current state. Dahyun appreciates it, smiles for the first time that night.

“I just got fired.” Dahyun drops the issue like an explosive. It takes a second or two for it to sink in before Tzuyu’s eyes water.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it? I shouldn’t have called you for the late sessions so frequently.” Tzuyu apologises.

Dahyun shakes her head and covers Tzuyu’s mouth with her palm. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I broke two of the work rules. And, I think it was about time I quit. I lost my passion. I’m not even upset.”

“What rules?”

She hesitates on answering that question.

“Cuddle sessions aren’t allowed externally.”

“That’s definitely my fault.”

“You can’t fall for a client.”

“That is also – wait what?”

Tzuyu doesn’t know if she heard that right. She looks to Dahyun for clarification but she’s avoiding eye contact and staring at the floor.

“Dahyun?” Tzuyu calls out for her attention.

She raises her head slowly and there’s a nervous smile on her face. A dust of pink spreads over her cheek and Tzuyu thinks she looks adorable, as always. Her eyes question Dahyun, had she heard that right?

“I’m not alone?”

Dahyun’s mouth opens and closes a few times as she tries to form a response. Tzuyu chuckles quietly, not believing the situation. With Dahyun slightly dazed, she doesn’t realise Tzuyu’s slipped her arms around her waist, bringing her closer. She leans her forehead against Dahyun’s, finally shocking her out of her distracted state.

Tzuyu smiles endearingly when she sees the familiar spark in Dahyun’s eyes and the smile. The eyes, which Tzuyu notices when she talks about something she loves. Those spark-filled eyes _and_ the precious smile that shines bright.

They were directed at Tzuyu.

“I’d like to say, we might have both panicked a little bit and not been able to see the truth that’s been in front of us for a while.” Dahyun giggles when Tzuyu kisses her nose.

“It’s no wonder that Sana was teasing me endlessly for the past month at least, telling me that I had my love life sorted when I had no idea what she was talking about. We really stayed blind to it the entire time? I never thought about such a possibility. You’re so adorable and kind hearted.” Tzuyu shakes her head. “My insomnia had no solution until you came along with your precious heart and showered me with love I really didn’t think I deserved. Holding me tight until I fell asleep, I think your embrace was what I needed.”

Dahyun’s eyes watered again, but Tzuyu brushed the tears away with the pad of her thumb, not letting those tears fall down her face. She cradled Dahyun’s face between her hands, slightly aware of the welling of her eyes as well.

It’s unclear who leaned in first, but slowly, the space thinned between the two of them. Tzuyu brushes their lips slightly, testing waters. She hears the soft gasp leaving Dahyun’s lips at the featherlike touch before she presses a little harder. Tzuyu lets out a shaky breath, feeling Dahyun grip her shirt tightly with her fist.

Tzuyu’s heart almost combusts right there. There’s a trail of welcomed warmth as Dahyun’s hand skims over Tzuyu’s arm to loop around her neck.

Dahyun is on her tip toes again when they pull back, placing a tender kiss on Tzuyu’s forehead.

There’s the feeling of love, when Tzuyu slides her hand through Dahyun’s, squeezing lightly.

There’s the feeling of love, when Dahyun rests her head against Tzuyu’s neck.

There’s the feeling of love, endlessly.


End file.
